


Smile Like The Desert

by Kira_K



Category: Dune - All Media Types, Dune Series - Frank Herbert
Genre: Canonical Character Death, M/M, Romance, mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-28 22:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8465182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kira_K/pseuds/Kira_K
Summary: Stilgar wasn’t a fool.  But he was not a cruel man either and traps, if treated with proper caution, could be disabled, even turned against the one setting them. 
 Or the story of Stilgar getting lost in Duncan Idaho's smile.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OKami_hu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu/gifts).



> Alternative Title: Desert Rose (from Sting). :)
> 
> A late gift to my friend [Okami_hu](http://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu/pseuds/OKami_hu). Happy Name's Day!

Stilgar wasn’t a fool. But he was not a cruel man either and traps, if treated with proper caution, could be disabled, even turned against the one setting them. 

So when an outsider came to the desert – dressed in an inferior stillsuit, probably already dying without even knowing it, - he sent out a couple of men to take the fool to an abandoned sietch to meet him there. He didn’t have to wait for long before they arrived. The outsider was tied up but one of his men was sporting a freshly bandaged cut. 

“What happened?” Stilgar asked as they threw the outsider at the hard stone. 

“He fought surprisingly well for an outsider,” Karama replied and pushed his toe against their bound prisoner. “Not good but I was careless.” 

Stilgar nodded then bent down to the outsider and pulled his gag out. “Who are you? Speak.” His knife was still sheathed; there was no need to take his water without provocation. 

“My name is Duncan Idaho and I am the servant of the Duke Atreides.” 

Stilgar tugged a bit on Duncan Idaho’s hair, combing through it to see if there was anything hidden in it. Aside of the sand there was nothing, not even a honing beacon. “I see. And what do you want Duncan Idaho? What does your Duke want?”

“He is going to replace the Harkonnen scum as the new liege-lord of Arrakis. And he wishes for an alliance with the fremen.” 

“An alliance, you say?” Stilgar repeated with a bark of laughter. “And what do you give in exchange? Yourself?”

Duncan shook his head as much as he could. “I cannot give you that. I belong to my Duke. Ask for equipment, ask for a shared wealth from the spice. Those, I can offer in my Duke’s name.”

“You know nothing of the fremen Duncan Idaho,” Stilgar snorted, gave a short command to be left alone and when his men disappeared he released his prisoner. He lowered himself into a comfortable position from where he could spring into action within a moment and waited.

Duncan remained kneeling on the stone, slowly moving his arms to get back the feeling in them. 

Surprised, Stilgar patted the stone next to his own seat. Maybe the fool didn’t know his people, offering them money, but he did understood Stilgar’s psyche. “Sit down, and tell me: Why should I ally my men with your Duke?” 

Duncan smiled, a smile that was bright like the sun, and warm like the sand under it. It was a smile belonging to the desert and Stilgar was caught in it like a stupid youth. Then Duncan started to talk about politics, economics and business and Stilgar listened. That is how it began. 

* 

And it continued like this: 

Stilgar shared his water with Duncan, as a gift, without want of reciprocation. He didn’t ask to be paid back thus he could accept Duncan’s proposal. 

Stilgar showed Duncan how to put on and take off the stillsuit properly; caressing each inch of skin that was revealed. 

Duncan showed Stilgar why was he called swordmaster. He was beautiful and deadly – and Stilgar realized that taking Duncan prisoner and getting only a small cut in the process would've been impossible for Karama. (He didn’t confront Duncan for some traps were not even proper traps just surprising forks in the Road.)

Stilgar was fascinated by the white of Duncan’s eyes – it had been years since he last saw a not blue-on-blue eye. In return, Duncan was always murmuring about how the spice made eyes beautiful. 

Stilgar kissed Duncan, soft and slow, testing the ground under the sand. And there was both stone and quicksand – for Duncan was solid, stubborn, a safe haven from the world; and Duncan had a temper, emotions, and a liquidity to his motions that blindsided Stilgar more than he was comfortable with. Yet, Duncan only laughed at Stilgar’s startled _oof_ as they rolled around in that abandoned sietch they kept going back; stillsuits put aside to allow skin-to-skin contact. 

Kissing Duncan was like drinking water and there was the curious lack of spice in his breath – and Stilgar wasn’t sure he could ever have enough of it. 

*

And so it went. Then the Atreideses have arrived to the Dune – and Duncan kissed Stilgar once more before leaving their bed to go back to his Duke. 

And thus it ended. 

*

Only not. 

For after years of faithful, loyal service to Paul Muad’Dib, the boy whom Stilgar often thought of as a son; after years of standing behind him, giving advice and managing the state; years of loyal service – the Tleilaxu came to offer their Emperor the ghola Hayt as a gift. And Hayt smiled the smile of Duncan Idaho, the smile which was the desert itself: warm as the sand and bright as the sun. And Stilgar was lost once more in its heat. 

 

~end~

**Author's Note:**

> (Please let me know if you notice a typo.) 
> 
> Comments, kudos make my day


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